Brad Walker (pole vaulter)

American pole vaulter

Brad Walker (born June 21, 1981 in Aberdeen, South Dakota) is an American pole vaulter. He was the American recordholder and was the 2007 World Champion in the event.

Walker attended University High School in Spokane Valley, Washington and competed in football, basketball, and track and field. In track, Walker was coached by Reg Hulbert and won All Greater Spokane League honors following his senior season. Walker graduated from University High School in 1999 with a 3.89 GPA.

Walker attended the University of Washington, where he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. While there, he became NCAA indoor pole vault champion twice and four time NCAA All American under Coach Pat Licari. In 2005 he became both indoor and outdoor National Champion. Perhaps not among the favorites in the 2005 World Championships, Walker nonetheless won the silver medal with 5.75. Two weeks later in Rieti he set a new personal best of 5.96. In 2006 he won the World Indoor Championships in Moscow with a jump of 5.80meters. In July 2006, at Jockgrim, Germany, Brad Walker, cleared 6 meters, the best performance of the year, in a pole vault competition. He won the gold in the world championships on September 1, 2007. On June 8, 2008 Walker jumped in Eugene to a new personal and American record with 6.04. Walker qualified for the 2008 Olympics, but failed to clear a height in the preliminary rounds. Walker retained his US championship title in 2009, even though his status as reigning World Champion gave him a bye into the 2009 World Championships in Athletics. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Walker reached the final but finished 12th with a 5.50m vault.